The UK government called on Netflix and Amazon to disclose viewing data for streaming series originated by UK public service broadcasters (PSBs), including Peaky Blinders and Fleabag.
Government officials agreed with a recommendation from the British Parliament’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (DCMSC), calling for the streaming services to share viewing data with UK broadcasters and media regulator Ofcom "to enable full analysis of PSB reach," reported Deadline. In a statement, the government said there's "a case for requiring streaming services to share top line viewing data with Ofcom to assist them with their analysis and evaluation of the PSB system.”
Netflix and Amazon are known for being guarded about their streaming data, rarely sharing the viewership numbers for anything but their most-streamed exclusives. Streamers like HBO Max and Disney+ are equally protective of their viewing info, often leaving it to outside parties to report on the number of households that tuned in for their latest releases. Even when they announce opening weekend results for such shows as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, they typically refrain from revealing exact statistics.
Responding to the DCMSC's recommendation, Netflix and Amazon argued it would be "commercially insensitive" to reveal their viewership data. The DCMSC disagreed and issued a statement in March arguing, "Streaming services are an important ‘second window’ for PSB content, but without viewer data, it is difficult to fully assess the reach of PSBs." The UK government added it hopes streaming data can be disclosed "on a voluntary basis in the first instance,” lest it pass legislation requiring the data to be shared.
Moreover, the DCMSC recommended streaming services include the branding for UK public service broadcasters on their series. This is something Netflix already does with the show The End of the F***ing World, which features the logo for the UK's Channel 4 in its thumbnail and a notice for the broadcaster at the start of the series' episodes.
“The relationship between PSBs and subscription video on demand services (SVoDs) is not straightforward, particularly where PSB content is hosted on streaming services," the UK government said. "It is the Government’s view that the issues the Committee has identified relating to brand attribution and data sharing are a matter for contractual negotiations in the first instance."
Source: Deadline